History Anime / TransformersSuperGodMasterforce

''Transformers: Super-God Masterforce'' (1988) is the third or fourth (depending on how the third season of ''[[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers G1]]'' is viewed) incarnation of ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' produced. Divisive even by ''Transformers'' [[BrokenBase standards]], it tells the story of a battle between Transformers who become humans, and humans who become Transformers.

* ADayInTheLimelight: Lightfoot, who at best fits a [[FlatCharacter typical generic Autobot role with flat personality]], is the focus in a {{Filler}} episode where his father gets kidnapped. It isn't 100% filler though, because the overarching plot of the arms race between the Autobots and Decepticons is highlighted in a separate scene.

** Cancer rescues Shuta from King Poseidon.

* BreakTheCutie: Shuta losing his father does this to him.

** This is noticeable with Ginrai. At first, he's a young and brash truck driver who doesn't like to be tied down with responsibilities and definitely didn't want anything to do with the Cybertronian wars. [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive Circumstances force him]] to become a permanent member of the Autobots. While fighting [=BlackZarak=] and Overlord on the moon, he realizes how beautiful the Earth is, and refuses to let it become a dead world like the moon. However, the remaining episodes completely loses focus on Ginrai's characterization in favour of plot and action, upon which [[{{Flanderization}} Ginrai seemed to "devolve" into the personality of previous Autobot leaders]]. The human Decepticons themselves actually pick up the slack for this trope (See below points).

* ChivalrousPervert: As part of comic relief in the first half of the show, Roadking and Ginrai in their human forms have very brief moments of this but this isn't their defining characteristic. There are at least one or two times when Ginrai is seen ogling at pretty women (No, Minerva is NOT included). When Roadking sees the female nurses in a hospital that Ginrai is in he jokingly asks if he can take Ginrai's place.

* {{Dubtitle}}: As with ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters'', the region 1 DVD release changes the name of several characters to match their American counterparts from their Japanese. However, "Godmaster" was never changed to "Powermaster" despite the two being similar (except that transectors are non-sentient compared the already sentient Powermaster robots).

* EveryoneHasStandards: Shuta might have a crush on Minerva, but he immediately tries to drag Cab away from the swimming pool when Cab tries to spy on Minerva in a swimming competition.

* GoodIsNotSoft: Unlike older Transformers series where [[VillainsActHeroesReact the Autobots merely react to Decepticons]], the Autobots in this series are relatively proactive and actually take the initiative to invade the Decepticon base after locating it. While the Autobots do not unnecessarily kill, they do brutalize their Decepticon foes on multiple occasions, punching off their enemies' body parts (After all, [[GoodThingYouCanHeal Transformers can heal]]). Additionally, Ginrai in his early appearances is not above kidnapping his enemies for interrogation, although he quickly toned down as part of his CharacterDevelopment.
* GoodThingYouCanHeal: This is touted as one of the Godmasters' abilities. Transformers in general are capable of healing from even the most debilitating injuries, but Godmasters appear to heal at a faster rate. The healing rate is portrayed rather inconsistently though. Sometimes they are presented as being able to heal from minor injuries almost instantly, allowing them to attack relentlessly without fear of getting debilitating injuries (Hydra, Buster, and God Ginrai's initial appearance) and at other times they need to waste time dodging enemy fire (Every other moment).

* HeelFaceDoorSlam: After Cancer talks Wilder and Bullhorn into siding with the Autobots, they rush to their transtectors, ready to join the fight, and ZAP! Devil Z separates them and brings their mecha to life on their own, all loyal to the Decepticons.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: In one episode, Shuta says that the Karin Islands will become civilized. Given that Shuta is an innocent boy, he is completely unaware of how offensive that is and he quickly takes back the comment when Cab calls him out on it.

* LegFocus: In "Panic! Protect the Wild Animals!!," Minerva dons an outfit that shows off her legs (and midriffs to boot). Shuta and Cab immediately start [[EatingTheEyeCandy ogling her]].

* MeaningfulName: Cancer's name is another word for "crab". And thus, fitting for his transtector that looks like a GiantEnemyCrab.

* {{Misblamed}}: After Minerva catches Shuta trying to pull a spying Cab away from the fence when they were doing their swimming competition, she calls both of them out, ignoring that Shuta was trying to stop Cab.
* TheMedic: Minerva. Her transtector turns into an ambulance, after all.

* MsFanservice: Downplayed with Mega and Minerva (The only prominent female characters in the show), who are in fact quite modest when compared to other Japanese anime female characters.
** Shuta and Cab find Minerva attractive but there's only a few irregular references of that dropped throughout the show. The most risque (If that term is even applicable) shown of Minerva is her in a modest swimsuit, which is only brief shots and happened once or twice.

* NoExportForYou: Inverted. ''Shout! Factory'' released the entire series on DVD in North America. The only thing they did not include was the clipshows and an extra where Shuta and Grand Maximus explaining every detail about the entire story. However, it may due the fact that Creator/ToeiAnimation refuses to release the clipshows and only for the episodes, as they initially refused to send ''Scramble City'' and the 'Manga/TransformersZone'' OVA.

** Overlord using Shuta as a shield to defeat God Ginrai is the last straw for the wavering Cancer's faith in the Decepticons, who immediately defects, rescues the Autobots, and proceeds to tell them about the Decepticon base and Devil Z.

** Hawk effectively becomes Shuta's adopted father after Shuta's real father dies.

* PapaWolf: Several of the Autobots have this towards the Headmaster Juniors. When Overlord uses Shuta as a hostage, Ginrai inflicts a very strong NoHoldsBarredBeatdown out of fury. Mega forces Overlord to stop fighting when she discovers that Cancer is buried under the rubble.

* RedOniBlueOni: Minerva and Shuta Goh to an extent, particularly in the first half of the show. Oddly enough levelheaded Minerva had a red color scheme whereas hotheaded Shuta has a blue color scheme.

* SneakingOutAtNight: The accompanying manga reveals that when the Decepticons get up to anything at night, Shuta has to go pick up Minerva since of the three Headmaster Juniors she's the only one who doesn't live in or around the Autobot base [[note]] the third member of their trio Cab lives in a treehouse in the forest that surrounds said base, while Shuta himself lives in the base [[/note]]. The problem is Minerva lives in the dorm of the international school they attend, meaning Shuta has to sneak in, get Minerva, sneak her out, and then somehow sneak her back in afterwards. One can only imagine what kind of trouble they'd get into if a teacher ever discovered a boy sneaking into the girls' dorm at night.

* SupportingProtagonist: Shuta plays this role in the first few episodes, where the Pretenders hold pivotal roles in the series but the story is largely seen from Shuta's perspective. TheProtagonist Ginrai debut in episode 10, and after the show shifts its entire focus onto him while the Autobot Headmaster Juniors play a supporting roles despite their prominent feature in the opening and closing of each episode.

* TooDumbToLive: As the [[Website/TFWikiDotNet Transformers Wiki]] says, "Shuta comes up with the worst plan ever for dealing with a combiner". Which involves jumping on King Poseidon's arm to break it off. What?
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: No-one ever comments in the series that Ginrai's transtector is a dead-ringer for a certain famous Autobot. One of the clip shows explained that he was meant to be a new body for Optimus, until Devil Z got involved.
* UnwantedHarem ([[InvertedTrope Gender-flipped]] and G-rated). Minerva has Shuta and Cab crushing on her, and Cancer becomes deeply conflicted over her.
* UnwillingRoboticisation: Played with but mostly and clearly subverted with this entire show's premise of humans becoming Transformers. All the recruited human Autobots and Decepticons are clearly fine with becoming robots -- The resemblance to this trope is that most of them are not keen on losing their humanity either (The transformation is originally not supposed to be permanent).
** Played Straight: In some way, that is Giga and Mega's fate in the series' finale and Ginrai nearly suffers it as well. Overlord loses the human components of Giga and Mega, becoming a true robot (And also becoming fully loyal to Devil Z). Another perspective is of Giga and Mega losing their powers while Overlord became sentient.
** Inverted: By the end of the show, every Headmaster Junior and Godmaster who are still alive (In the human sense) are forcibly depowered while their robotic forms gained sentience.

Later, the Godmasters (whose toys were known as Powermasters in English-speaking territories) were introduced. Godmasters were similar to Headmaster Juniors, but instead of forming their Transtectors' heads, they formed the engines. They added ''jinchokon'', the LifeEnergy of humanity, to the ''tenchokon'' (heavenly energy) and ''chichokon'' (Earth energy) of the Transformers, thus forming the ultimate lifeform -- the Super-Gods of the title.

''Masterforce'' was the first ''Transformers'' series to have an ongoing plot and CharacterDevelopment. The theme of personal transformation, rather clumsily attempted in ''Headmasters'', is skillfully (for a kids' show) shown here as the human characters are shown to initially be quite naïve and to gradually evolve into powerful warriors and protectors. The final result is a rather [[BitterSweetEnding sad but satisfying ending]].

The cartoon received the same hilariously bad dub treatment as ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters''. The dub was first broadcast in Malaysia on RTM-1 in 1988, and later in Singapore on [=StarTV=]. UsefulNotes/{{DVD}}s containing both the dub and subtitled Japanese episodes were released in the UK in 2006 (sub only) and Australia in 2008; both were also shown in the UK on Anime Central in 2007.

** Just what the heck the deal is with Devil Z. A clip show explained he was an evil alien. Decades later, Ask Vector Prime said he was the child of a Light God, partner and sibling to the original Godmaster, who became corrupted on entering Earth's atmosphere. And also a space alien, since that reality had become more strange after Zarak blew up Cybertron. The Japanese exclusive ''Legends'' comic comes up with an even ''more'' complicated explanation involving Primus and the Quintessons.

** [=BlackZarak=] gets his head knocked off by Ginrai in their tussle on the moon, but it doesn't slow him down. This goes ''completely'' unexplained in the show, but supplementary materials revealed the true Zarak is actually wired into the body's torso.
* AnachronicOrder: According to the ''Transformers Wiki'', when the series was aired in Russia, this series was the first to be shown, then to Victory, then to Headmasters.

** Ginrai saves Road King from Black Zarak in one episode.

* BittersweetEnding: The Autobots saved Earth from Devil Z's omnicidal plan, marking the end of the Masterforce War. However, the Autobots and Decepticons continued their never-ending war in space. The humans who served as Autobots and Decepticons [[BroughtDownToNormal permanently lost their powers]], but what was truly bittersweet was that the character development underwent by Overlord and the Decepticons vanished since their human halves had been forcibly purged out, leaving only the robotic part that remained wholly loyal to the Decepticon cause (Formerly Devil Z's).

* BrainWashed: Black Zarak is the ''Headmasters'' villain Mega Zarak/Scorponok in a new body. Prior to the start of the ''Masterforce'' series, Devil Z made him his mind-controlled bitch.

** King Poseideon has the same issue. He's the only Decepticon combiner in this series and is a considerable threat. After Ginrai becomes both Super and God, his threat level is practically non-existent, but only to him. Others such as Headmaster Jrs., he's still a threat to.

** Averted again for God Ginrai's first battle. Again unlike most traditional super robot anime scenes, God Ginrai's first appearance grants him neither instant nor easy victory, and he needs help from Grand Maximus to defeat Overlord and Black Zarak. In most of the later episodes however, God Ginrai easily defeats any Decepticon not named Black Zarak or Overlord, and sometimes even them.

* DarkerAndEdgier: This is the darkest series in the G1 Transformers era. Humans are routinely killed either onscreen or through frequent [[GoryDiscretionShot gory discretion shots]]. The BigBad is an outright [[OmnicidalManiac omnicidal monster]], and the brutal themes of war, the loss of innocence, and the meaning of evil are shown regularly.

* DemonicPossession: Towards the end of the series, Devil Z takes full possession of Black Zarak's body.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Sixknight bows to this.

* DoingInTheWizard: The Shout Factory subtitles make a valiant attempt at proclaiming the various Chokon powers to be "Energon", but... it's magic super-powers.

* EvilSoundsDeep: Devil Z and Overlord. Black Zarak also has this before Devil Z possesses him.

* EyeBeams: Black Zarak after Devil Z possesses him uses these to torture Hydra and Buster and subdue Overlord.

** Cancer is the most sympathetic of the Decepticon Headmaster Juniors, and over time begins to question whether he is on the wrong side. When Black Zarak attacks his home country, he tries to rescue his hometown but ends up getting buried in rubble, requiring the Autobots to save him. In the next encounter with the Autobots, when he sees that the Decepticons are about to kill his rescuers, he snaps and defects to the Autobots immediately.

** Jinchokon (meaning "The Power of Man" essentially) is unique to humans. It allows the Godmasters to attain their full power by combining the three primal energies of life: the other two on their own are nowhere near as potent without Jinchokon. [[BigBad Devil Z]] plans to collect this energy by bonding Transformer bodies with humans, kicking off the series.
** Ginrai regularly extols and demonstrates the indomitable will of humanity to his non-human opponents.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Anyone who learns that Black Zarak is actually Scorponok from Headmasters will find the fact that he was brainwashed a very fitting punishment given that all of his actions in the prior series were motivated by a desire for power and treachery.

* MagicCountdown: In "Crisis! The Day of Human Extinction", during Black Zarak's second countdown, approximately 27 seconds pass between "five" and "two" when God Ginrai and Overload gets into a fight and Overload tries to prevent Ginrai from stopping Devil Z's weapon from completely destroying the stratosphere.

* MidseasonUpgrade: Ginrai becomes Super Ginrai, then he becomes God Ginrai.

* MysteriousPast: Devil Z spends most of the series looking like a pulsating energy ball. Then, when he fuses with Black Zarak, he states he is revealing his true form. We get a brief glimpse of some creepy looking foetus, and that's it. A later clip show hurriedly explained he was an energy being from space. And as further revealed by [[WordOfGod Ask Vector Prime]], Devil Z is the Godmessenger from the origins of the Godmasters he described. Godmessenger (Devil Z) and Godmaster, were originally children of a Light God, but when they entered Earth's atmosphere, Godmaster got [[PiecesOfGod shattered into the 8 Godmasters]], and [[FallenAngel Godmessenger got corrupted into Devil Z]].

* OvershadowedByAwesome: Sixknight is not only a rare Six Changer but he's also mastered one of the three forms of Chokon energy. In any previous series he would possibly be one of the strongest Transformers in existence. Unfortunately for him by the time he shows up most of the regulars have all three forms of Chokon energy and he routinely gets kicked to the curb as a result.

-->'''Devil Z''': It is a powerup for Super Ginrai.
-->'''Giga''': A powerup for Super Ginrai?

* RasputinianDeath: Devil Z (Merged with Black Zarak) is appropriately the toughest antagonist to kill. God Ginrai tears pieces off him and destroys his head, but Devil Z keeps moving. God Ginrai summons the Autobot Headmaster Juniors into the Godbomber Armor to boost his "Jinchokon" power and succeeds in destroying Black Zarak's remaining body, but Devil Z's spirit form remains intact. It takes a final "God Fire Guts" from the combined "Jinchokon" of Ginrai and the Autobot Headmaster Juniors to completely obliterate Devil Z.

** Happens early in the series with the introduction of the Godmasters. When Hydra and Buster appear, the Autobot Pretenders and Headmaster Juniors can barely hold them off. A Godmaster Transformer is capable of healing from minor injuries almost instantly, making it more durable and seemingly proportionately stronger and faster as a result. Godmasters are also capable of manipulating a mystical force known as Chokon Power.

** As a response to combiner-sized robots, Ginrai gets a SuperMode in the form of Super Ginrai and a further SuperMode in the form of God Ginrai, becoming a Godmaster that towers over his fellow Autobot Godmasters in both stature and power. Similarly, Giga and Mega become Overlord, and shortly after Black Zarak (A mindwiped Scorponok) shows up, who is a combiner-sized Transformer with no Godmaster abilities but is so powerful that he can actually contend with God Ginrai in combat.

** Super Ginrai is easily overwhelmed by Overlord and had to one-up the Decepticons with God Ginrai. Black Zarak quickly comes into the picture to aid Overlord while Grand Maximus does the same for God Ginrai.
** In the finale, God Ginrai cannot beat the Devil Z-possessed Black Zarak on his own and therefore is given additional Jinchokon power-up from the Autobot Headmaster Juniors to destroy Devil Z once and for all.

* TravellingAtTheSpeedOfPlot: With the Decepticons, it makes sense that they can get anywhere they need to because they all have some capacity of flight. The Autobots by stark contrast can move across continents whenever needed, even though they have no such capability. An excellent example of this is after their base is destroyed in Japan, the Autobots new headquarters is in the Alps. The opposite also happens, in that characters will move as slowly as the episode's plot requires. Case in point, although God Ginrai has been shown to be able to fly fast enough to get to a destination, his flight from the Sea of Japan to southern Europe is slow enough to ensure that when Black Zarak attacks China, he is able to make a speedy change of course and arrives in short order.

* TooDumbToLive: As the [[Website/TFWikiDotNet Transformers Wiki]] says, "Shuta comes up with the worst plan ever for dealing with a combiner". Which involves jumping on King Poseideon's arm to break it off. What?

** Hydra and Buster, while still threatening, quickly becomes a lot less of a danger in the second half of the show when there are more Autobot Godmasters, and when Overlord and Black Zarak take active roles in the field, in stark contrast to how they are portrayed in the first half of the season as the Autobots most dangerous enemies.

* VileVillainSaccharineShow: Hydra and Buster in the first half of the show. In stark contrast to the comedic Headmaster Juniors and Pretenders (though they have had their fair moments of being serious threats), Hydra and Buster are portrayed as utterly serious threats. This ends in the second half of the show, where their threat level minimized in comparison to Overlord and Black Zarak.

* WorfHadTheFlu: Overlord is easily beaten in several episodes either because he is distracted, weakened, or is intentionally holding back. In the rest of his appearances, he is usually the most dangerous Decepticon and it takes an entire episode to beat him, unless Black Zarak is featured prominently in the episode.

%%* SwornBrothers: Buster and Hydra. As an added bonus, they are literally blood relatives.

* BloodBrothers: Buster and Hydra. As an added bonus, they are literally blood relatives.

* MetaphoricallyTrue: A villainous example – as revealed by [[WordOfGod Ask Vector Prime]], the Godmasters being parts of a divine being, the complete Godmaster, and Godmessenger being it's sibling, as told by Devil Z, are true, with the exception of the fact Godmaster wasn't a Decepticon God – he/she and it's sibling Godmessenger – Devil Z, are children of a Light God – member of Primus' pantheon of light, and kin to Primus and Unicron. It's more complicated though, as the origin of them eight Transtectors from the G Nebula stolen by Devil Z is also true, due to a Cosmic Paradox that created a UsefulNotes/SchrodingersCat situation.

In terms of {{continuity}}, ''Masterforce'' is canonically set after ''[[Anime/TransformersHeadmasters Headmasters]]''; however, while ''Headmasters'' was clearly set TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture (Although it was later on revealed it takes place almosr a decade in 2020 in the Generation Selects manga, ''Masterforce'' used contemporary technology and fashions. However, aside from a few brief instances, ''Masterforce'' is pretty much self-contained, and so knowledge of ''Headmasters'' is (fortunately) not necessary to follow or understand it.

* ThreeAmigos: Shuta, Cab, and Minerva.